Burundi rejects UN peace force

What you need to know:

  • UN was to deploy 228 police to the troubled country.

BUJUMBURA, Wednesday

Burundi’s government has rejected the deployment of 228 UN police to the troubled African nation, saying a French-led UN resolution authorising the force was made without its consent.

The UN Security Council on Friday agreed to deploy the force in its strongest move to date to try to end more than a year of violence.

“The government of Burundi rejects every aspect of this resolution linked to the deployment of any force on its territory,” said spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba in the first official reaction to the move.

The UN resolution was “in violation of the fundamental principles required of the UN family and above all violating its sovereignty,” he added in a statement released late on Tuesday.